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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Ignorance, cause of human suffering

 

CHENNAI, OCT. 24. Everyone without exception wants to be happy in

life and try to seek it in different ways. The joy a person

derives through the senses pertains to the materialistic world

and before long he understands its fleeting nature. There is

nothing wrong in seeking happiness in life but it should become

apparent that it is not possible to attain eternal joy in worldly

pleasures. This can be realised only when one overcomes bondage.

Scriptural texts like the Yoga Vasishta and the Kaivalya

Navaneetham describe this ineffable state of enduring bliss of

the Self by an analysis of the seven states of consciousness.When

the desire for liberation from bondage takes root in a person, he

embarks on enquiry by listening to the scriptural teachings from

realised saints and starts reflecting on them. Then he meditates

on these teachings. These three stages of spiritual evolution are

the preliminary stages in which the consciousness of the seeker

rises from the gross sensory level to the subtler levels of the

intellect. Instead of identifying with the body-mind-intellect

personality the seeker slowly starts identifying with the Self

(Atman).

 

In his discourse, Sri T. G. Narayanaswamy said the difficulty of

achieving mastery over the mind had been stressed by many saints.

Tayumanavar in a verse wonders how man who is able to create so

many wonders in the world is unable to control his own mind. Such

saints have also indicated that by meditation the mind can be

disciplined. Tiruvalluvar in the Tirukkural cautions man not to

postpone pursuit of the spiritual goal. This he says entails

change in one's lifestyle by eschewing all that are detrimental

to spiritual growth and adopting measures which are conducive to

progress. The Yoga Vasishta discusses this topic in the form of a

dialogue between Lord Rama and Sage Vasishta. This work is also

called Maha Ramayana and Adhyatma Ramayana as it teaches the

subtle knowledge of the Self. Though Rama was the Lord-incarnate

He approached His teacher Vasishta as a student to learn the

abstract truth.

 

Rama questioned Vasishta as to what a person must do when he

understands that worldly life is sorrowful to which the teacher

pointed out it was ignorance which was the root cause of human

sorrows. If this ignorance is dispelled the ensuing Self-

knowledge and bliss will wipe out all miseries. So the crux of

the teaching is the emphasis on removing ignorance which is

possible only through knowledge. The Yoga Vasishta describes how

Self-knowledge results through seven successive levels of

consciousness.

 

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